Fire displaces Mount Vernon family, kills 12 dogs

A second-alarm fire burned late into the night in Mount Vernon Thursday, displacing a 14-member family.

The flames broke out on the first floor of the home on Seventh Avenue and quickly spread to the second floor.

Firefighters got to the scene about 7:30 p.m., and it more than three hours to get the blaze under control.

No injuries were reported, but officials say a dozen caged pit bulls died.

The Red Cross says it is helping the multi-generation family of nine adults and two teenagers find shelter.

Officials believe the fire was sparked when alcohol and a dirt bike mixed. One of the residents, a 13-year-old boy, drove the dirt bike into the house. Then, alcohol was reportedly spilled onto the bike, setting a bed on fire.

It is suspected that the pit bulls were being bred. Another dogs survived.